Multi Factor Authentication: What it is, why you need it & how to use it.
These days, passwords are no longer viewed as the most secure way to protect an account. Cyber-criminals have advanced exponentially in recent years as have the ways in which they can find out your credentials. By only using a password as an authentication method, the security of an account is based solely on the strength […]
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Remote Desktop Service vs VPN: What is best for your business?
In 2020, we have seen a huge move towards the use of remote access technologies. For instance, in the form of Remote Desktop Services and VPNs. The move came as workforces across the globe were told they had to work from home if they wanted to continue operating. According to research, RDS use is up […]
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5 ways to secure remote working
There is no doubt 2020 has been an unsettling year. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused considerable disruption to the global economy as well as changed the way we all go about our daily lives. While we are seeing a gradual return to the workplace amid a Tiered system across the UK, the most recent lockdown […]
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Will your backup be there when you need it?
We have talked a lot about Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) and how it has proved to be revolutionary for organisations looking to bridge the gap between the legacy applications they cannot live without and the modern IT environments that most of us are embracing now, such as Microsoft 365. WVD incorporates your applications into a […]
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How you can stop cyber criminals impersonating you.
Email is the main method of communication used in the business environment, from internal communication to customers. This makes it an extremely effective place for cyber-criminals to target victims. According to Avanan’s phishing statistics, 1 in every 99 emails is a phishing attack. This amounts to 4.8 emails per employee in a five-day work week! Because […]
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BYOD: What does your business need to be ready?
The huge move towards bring your own device (BYOD) and flexible working in the modern workforce introduces a range of new challenges for IT teams. It used to be that they had full control of what devices are on the network… now they have to deal with a much wider variety of devices. Given that […]
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Why data backup is paramount for your organisation!
The rate of cyber-crime is showing no sign of slowing down. Therefore, it has never been more important to have appropriate back up for your data. Unfortunately, according to new figures, there are still a vast number of businesses who have inadequate, or even non-existent backup practises. In a study of 514 UK business leaders, […]
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Remote Monitoring: The Managed Service You Need.
If your company is like others, your IT infrastructure will play an important role in your everyday operations and ensuring everything runs smoothly. Managing it, however, is a full-time 24/7 job, and as most companies do not work in this way, they struggle to keep on top of monitoring it for problems and threats. Fortunately, […]
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How you can keep your data safe in a world full of threats.
Data is king in today’s modern world, after topping oil as the most precious commodity in 2017. As with every important resource, there are always people who intend to steal it or damage it. The story is no different with data. While computer viruses are by no means new, the sophistication and frequency of cyber-attacks […]
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The worst passwords of 2019… did we learn nothing?
2019 seems to have been no different yet, proving bad habits are dying hard and many of us are still willing to risk putting our accounts and personal information in the cyber criminals’ line of fire. Would you like to become a cyber security champion? Passwords are important. However, many who use the internet and […]
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Why your staff are your biggest cyber security threat…
In his Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, 1786, Thomas Reid, a trained Scottish philosopher once said, “A chain is no stronger than its weakest link”. The same holds true for business cyber security, where you’re only as strong as your least informed employee. Cyber criminals are going to prey on the most vulnerable, […]
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6 facts about passwords that will make you THINK.
Cyber security is absolutely crucial in the online world and passwords are a huge part of that. However, while many are aware of this and know that we need to use unique usernames and complex password combinations, this doesn’t always happen. Even reports of cyber attacks and breaches have not made a huge difference over […]
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The worst data breaches of all time
In the digital age, our information online is more exposed than ever before. Data breaches occur on a daily basis, and while some are minor and go unnoticed, others are so great that they could jeopardise an entire company. In January 2019 alone, exactly, 1,769,185,063 user records were leaked! Below we take a look at […]
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What information security strategies are vital for accountants?
With all data held on your internal servers or your cloud, keeping this information secure is a technological challenge. As you hold sensitive company information, you need to consider information security strategies as a matter of urgency. Why is information security important? The security of your clients’ information is vital for the success of your […]
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8 emails security tips you need to know
The number of emails sent per day in 2015 reached over 205 billion. By comparison, WhatsApp only handles a meagre 65 billion message per day. This email figure was then projected to rise at an average annual rate of 3% over the next four years, hitting more than 246 billion by the end of 2019 (the equivalent of everyone on Earth sending 32 emails a day!). Email is the primary method of communication in business. However, it is also […]
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VPNs: All you need to know.
As cyber-criminals are advancing, keeping your data in your hands only when online is an ever-growing problem. Luckily, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) will extend a private network across a public network so that you can access the internet safely and privately. Wondering how you could improve your cyber-security? Research has shown that since 2016, the […]
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Why you need onsite AND offsite backup.
According to research, 93% of businesses will file for bankruptcy before the end of the year after a serious data loss event, yet, 80% of all companies responded that they were confident they would survive a major data loss event themselves. With such a frightening statistic, it is so important that organisations keep multiple backups. When a business […]
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How to make a password that doesn’t suck.
In the digital world, passwords are required for nearly everything we do; for our computers, phones, websites, accounts and much more. Unfortunaly though, for the most part, passwords really suck. They can be really hard to remember and because of this, we end using easily guessable words or reuse the same passwords everywhere. If you’re […]
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5 ways to prepare your staff for a cyber attack
In a report by BSI’s Cybersecurity and Information Resilience division, it was found that 73% of organisations are worried about security. However, one in six of those has no plan in place and a third conduct no type of security testing. Almost every day we hear about another cyber-attack. Unfortunately, at the rate cybercrime is […]
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5 ways to improve your cyber security
2017 was one of the more impacted years in terms of cyber-security. WannaCry caused troubles in the NHS, Equifax lost customer data and NotPetya affected companies such as Maersk and FedEx. When the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced in May 2018, cyber-security was put at the forefront of our consciousness again. This time […]
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How can you secure your data online?
With so much of our lives held on our digital devices and stored in the cloud, it is becoming easier to lose our identity to a stranger. Although much of our data seems harmless, it can either be stolen or commoditised by another without our permission. Consequently, securing our data online must be as essential […]
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What you should do if your business is hacked!
It is something feared by all organisations. You became victim of a cyber-attack. Despite our best efforts, cyber attacks are on the rise. It is now more a matter of when, not if your business is targeted. Cyber attacks happen for a number of reasons, but research has shown that in 2018, 48% of data security breaches are caused […]
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10 unbelievable facts about cyber security
When Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the internet 30 years ago, it was new and exciting being used to share information by connecting people. Over time though, the Internet has matured immensely, becoming a scary place full of risks. Did you know that there are 4.29 billion internet users in 2019? An increase of 366 million […]
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GDPR and schools: how your IT system should be designed
If you haven’t heard of GDPR yet, then you are quite possibly already in breach of some strict regulations. More likely, you have heard of GDPR, and your school has made some efforts to apply the rules. However, you may yet to have fully immersed yourself in the requirements and therefore cannot make wiser and […]
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How you can ensure client confidentiality
The world is highly connected. Few places in the world do not have access to the internet and the copious amounts of information held there. Text messages, social media and even the humble telephone can pose a risk to client confidentiality. Let’s start with common sense Some things should go unsaid, but we should voice […]
Read moreIs your Data Really Hidden in The Cloud?
The concern which, above all others, causes IT heads to think twice about migrating to cloud computing is security. This is understandable: from the hacker’s point of view, the cloud has a silver lining – a rich store of sensitive (and therefore valuable) data. This is why it is important, if choosing a provider, to make sure […]
Read moreTop Products to Ensure Your Data is Secure
Surveys of business owners consistently reveal that among their biggest concerns at the moment are the uncertain economic outlook and cyber risk. While Serval Systems cannot, unfortunately, promise to speed up the economic recovery, we can certainly assist with data recovery (should the worst happen) and safeguard your system from cyber attacks. Here are our top ‘data […]
Read moreThe Lessons Every Business Should Learn From 2014’s iCloud Hack
The 2014 iCloud hack that saw intimate images of celebrities being accessed and posted on the net, brought the security of the cloud into question last year. But is it the cloud itself that is the problem here? Many argue that cloud computing is actually more secure than storing data within your own business, and with its […]
Read moreCommon IT Problems Facing the Legal Industry
Legal firms are directly in the firing line when it comes to cyber crime thanks to the large amount of sensitive and confidential information they hold. Yet while such bounty is highly prized by hackers, surprisingly few law firms are prioritising IT security, making their business protection much weaker than that of other industries. Remote access to sensitive […]
Read moreImplementing IT Policies For Business
Why are IT Policies Necessary? Clear policies about how IT is or may be used lead to a well managed, effectively run business. They provide a set of instructions to ensure the smooth running of operations on a day-to-day basis. An up-to-date, fully functioning IT system is now fundamental for the majority of businesses to […]
Read moreStaying Protected 101: The Business Firewall
When you leave the office at the end of the day you lock the doors behind you. The same should be the case for your computers, in order to protect the information stored on them. A firewall is that locked door to secure your business IT network, designed to block unauthorised access from other, less secure networks […]
Read moreIn Safe Hands: The Benefits of Offsite Backup
Offsite backup is an essential component to any business’ disaster recovery plan. Without one you’re at risk of losing vital data should the unexpected happen, such as a fire, flood, theft or a major software or hardware failure. Protecting your essential data from being permanently lost with offsite backup will enable your business to continue functioning as […]
Read moreWhy You Need a Disaster Recovery Plan
Disaster has struck, you have had a major hardware failure, a fire or flood, or accidentally deleted critical data – what are you going to do? What would happen to your business should one of these scenarios strike? Long periods of downtime Unhappy customers Permanent loss of data With an effective disaster recovery plan (DRP) […]
Read moreHow to Spot a Phishy Email
Ever had an email from an ‘official’ organisation asking you to disclose personal information, but you were not sure whether to trust it? Your instincts may be right. Scammers are sending emails disguising themselves as legitimate organisations, linking recipients to a fake log-in page in an attempt to hijack personal information, known as phishing – […]
Read moreThe IT Security Checklist for Businesses
Every day businesses are becoming more reliant on the internet – from storing data in the cloud to running their systems through computers and the internet. But lurking in the shadows sophisticated malicious software is being created, e.g. viruses, worms and trojans, ready to exploit weaknesses in networks and steal personal data. For instance, did […]
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